My Favorite Finds - 4/13/13

Happy crocus blossom on Tuesday of this week...

Crazy wintry mix arrives on Friday of this week! Oy.

For Your Soul ~

Beth Moore - Sadness and Madness:  On keeping the faith, Beth writes...
"At the end of the day, our faith is what the devil is after most. Without it, it’s impossible to please God. This is why Paul could say with relief nearly palpable on the page of his final letter, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.'" 
Oh, for heaven's sake:  "Without it, it's impossible to please God."  That's a heart-piercing, convicting statement.  A truth I've known, but the reminder is always timely.  I have not suffered to the depths of those described in Beth's post, but there have been times I've been pushed around and shoved, antagonized and knocked down enough by the enemy to want to just wallow a while in a discouraged pile of self-pity.  Then, when my spirit is pricked with the reminder to pray, to read His word, what am I tempted to do?  I'm tempted to linger there just a little longer, grumbling.  Oh, that's not good.  Don't stay there, heed the Spirit's nudge and keep the faith! (Preaching to myself.)
And on offering grace - well, you'll see she's just a bit perturbed and disappointed by the critical spirits of brothers and sisters in Christ.  She diplomatically, but adamantly, reminds us to be gentle and graceful.


Ann Voskamp:  With the same inspiration; the crushing truth of the Warren Family's present grief, Ann weighed in, too... 
"There are some who take communion and anti-depressants and there are those who think both are a crutch.
Come in close — I’d rather walk tall with a crutch than crawl around insisting like a proud and bloody fool that I didn’t need one."



In the Kitchen ~

Weed 'Em and Reap:  Real Food Chocolate Chip Cookies... and that's not an oxymoron!
"By using unrefined sugars, whole fats & whole-grain flour, I am giving my body something it can recognize and efficiently digest.  Good digestion = happy body & easy weight maintenance."

Common Sense Homesteading: Top Secret Banana Bread...
"Using soured or cultured milk is one of the “tricks” that set this bread apart from other recipes I’ve tried.  You can also use this trick in recipes that call for buttermilk.  If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, substitute soured milk or milk kefir."


For Your Hygiene ~

Mommypotomus:  How to Make Pure Coconut Oil Soap...  it lathers!  Yippee!! Must try it.







Happy Weekend!